Seniors Site

The only thing that could save you from age discrimination and prevent abuse from happening to you is that if you arm yourself with proper knowledge and information about age discrimination. What pains me is when I hear stories from my senior friends telling me about how they lost their jobs or how they were not able to land a job they really wanted just because of their age. The company didn’t even consider the experience and expertise these old people have, they just flat out rejected them.

First off, there is a law that is designed to protect seniors against age discrimination in terms of employment. If you have time, read more about it here: Age Discrimination in Employment Act. This clearly outlines your rights as a senior in a workplace and what other things the law cannot protect you from. To be more specific, the law covers people 40 years old and above. Please take note of the age as there really is age discrimination within the 40s age group even if that number isn’t even too old to begin with.

In this post, I will try to summarize what was written on the ADEA but like I said, it is better to read the link if you have time just so if I missed a point and you found yourself in that certain situation, you would know what to do.

First off, your boss or the company cannot just fire you because of your age, nor refuse to hire you especially if you are qualified for the job. They also cannot limit your activities as an employee or separate you from the younger ones without a valid reason other than your age. Best of all, your wage shouldn’t be reduced just because you’re old. You should be paid accordingly.

When looking for a job, ADEA clearly stated that job ads shouldn’t mention age or age bracket as preference. As for employment agencies, they cannot refuse to refer you for employment or classify your application according to your age.

Now if you are a member of a labor organization, the org cannot just expel you or limit and classify your membership because of age. You shouldn’t be deprived of employment opportunities by your organization in any way in terms of age.

More importantly, if you found yourself filing charges against your employer or helping someone with their age-related cases against your employer, the employer as well as the company cannot harass you or discriminate you in any way.

If you Google the words “email safety”, notice that there are two age groups often warned about it: kids and seniors. It is because the risk of these groups getting abused over emails is quite rampant. Kids are usually curious beings and almost always curiosity clouds better judgment while seniors are usually trusting and, well, curious beings too so the fate they share is pretty much the same as always.
Anyway, I would to share my rule of thumb when using the internet, particularly emails. Number one is, never be too trusting, not even if it’s your friends sending you messages. Why? It is because you can never know for sure if it is really them or if malicious intent is there. You just have to be careful ALL THE TIME. No excuses.
· Never ever share your online information, personal and otherwise. Not even to your husband. Or your kids. My partner and I, we love to share bank info etc with each other. This is because we often forget our own info while we found out that we are each other’s excellent info keeper however, I don’t think that is wise when it comes to online information as it can be passed without you and your partner knowing. Anyway, you can always hit that “forgot my password” link to sort effects of baby memory.
· Online information is always passable, no matter how careful you are. Emails get forwarded, so does your signatures and whatnot. Your nasty email about your neighbor can even find its way to your – horrors – neighbor’s inbox, say 2 months from now so as much as possible, provided only little information about yourself.
· Never open an email from someone you don’t know or wasn’t expecting. Email spammers are talented beings, they know what to write and how best to lure you into opening their emails. Some of the things they wrote there sound true enough to call action so as a good precautionary measure, just don’t open them.
· ..and don’t open attachments as well, or click links on emails. Okay, you accidentally opened a spam mail and there’s this very enticing attachment that comes with it and there’s also this link which is supposed to “redirect” you to a website that will fulfill your wishes. To open or not to open? Of course the answer is DON’T. It is because these are the first steps to getting yourself in trouble. Downloading a malicious attachment or even opening up an affected website are sure fire ways to infect your computer with virus.
· Make it a habit to report. Anything you encounter that got you suspicious should be reported at once. Don’t be shy about it since big, legitimate companies will definitely appreciate it and most of all, you are going to help other people by doing so.

When you just lost your job and maybe even a *gasp* girlfriend, it is only natural to feel insignificant like your whole life is a complete waste of time. I highly suspect that it comes with age. When you reach 60, it becomes harder to stay optimistic and still be looking forward to a brighter future. Most of the seniors I know, especially those who have reached 60 with bagful of various illnesses and diseases, just succumb to depression since they see retirement as the end of the line and a steady decline from there.
What these seniors don’t know is that they now possess what younger ones so wanted to have – and dying to have as well. Seniors have years of experience under their belts and they just can’t beat that. I will have to say that the hardest blow to ever hit our age bracket would be the financial crisis of year 2008 and sadly, its affect effect is still felt the world over. Many seniors who were dependent of their monthly income lost their jobs which threw them off balance. I have seen friends who lost many of their assets because of the crisis. Many have lost the will to live just because they thought it was the end for them.
These seniors need to recognize their worth. That even if they lost their job and half of their retirement money, they can still do something about it. In reality, and I believe due to the crisis itself, there has been many changes in how the world works today. Gone are the days when you need be young in order to land a job, there is nothing to fear now when it comes to job hunting as long as you have a portfolio to back you up. Hiring managers and employers are now after employees who can bring more value to work and has the know-how without having to train and supervise them extensively. That means us, my fellow seniors.
Seasoned workers like us are in demand nowadays, you just have to find these jobs. Actually, you can find them at the most unexpected places such as your social networking sites and even through your blogs, if you have one (well if you don’t, it’s time you start one!) Building your social network, online and offline, can certainly help you find a job AT YOUR TERMS as well as the respect you deserve.
Remember that your self-worth should, primarily, come from within. If you don’t value yourself as a person then you won’t see how others value you. You can never be living this life for this long if you don’t have anything to show for it.

Contrary to popular notion, being a senior or indeed a baby boomer can be financially hard especially if you have retired earlier than your nest egg could afford you. Unfortunately, in a cut throat world of corporations, nobody is indispensable – the minute you’re laid off, there are about 30 people waiting in line to replace you! This effectively places seniors and baby boomers in a very difficult situation.
I personally recommend seniors and baby boomers to have a second career, or a part time, just in case an unexpected financial crisis hits you. One can never be certain so there really is no harm in trying to fatten up the couch that will catch you if all else fails. If you care to look at my older posts, you’ll find plenty of career opportunities suitable for seniors ages 60 and above. Here is yet another one: coaching.
Surely you have years of experience under your belt. Better if you have had expertise in areas and fields which are still quite a mystery to others, young and old. For example, if you worked on “health papers” before and you know exactly how it works, you can offer your services to other seniors and their families on how to go about it such as where to go to secure papers, what documents should they have to acquire from doctors and hospitals, etc. These things may seem trivial to you but believe me, a lot of people need help on this area!
Truly, retirement careers are on the rise, since more seniors are becoming interested in starting their lifelong dreams and “dream careers” after quitting their 9-5 jobs. Seniors nowadays think that retirement is a new phase in their lives, a great way to start something worthwhile for themselves. Having experienced the world for so many years, you now have the authority to speak what you have learned and the air of expertise. These things can certainly help you in launching your career as a life coach.
If you are thinking of starting your own life coaching and counseling business, you must, first and foremost, know your target market. This means you should have a definite idea of whom to sell your concept and where to find them. Do your research by interviewing and observing people from your community. Also, it will help you tremendously if you start researching online, since almost all of your needed information can be found there. Take note too that you would have to do your own marketing, if you are to coach. If you think you can’t handle your own PR, then you might want to think about hiring a good PR consultant (see, a coach needs a coach too. Lol)
Be ready to do a lot of interaction as well since your customers should be really comfortable with you, personally and professionally. Join groups and associations to build networks and don’t forget to widen your services as go along.

If you think that the term “career burnout” applies only to adults 30-40 years of age then you are very wrong! Even seniors experience career burnouts and they are usually the ones that have been on job for so long, they don’t know how and when to stop working.

Yes, you heard me right, these are your standard-issue senior workaholics. I believe that there are people who were born to work however, there will also come a time when everything will suddenly feel redundant and pointless. Then everything you have worked hard for will quickly shed its luster. This is your mind telling you that working is not anymore worth it.

Seniors should never feel bad if suddenly they find themselves in this kind of rut. These things happen sooner or later. When you experience career burnout, it is important that you know your priorities. Assess your current situation and know your options since there is possibility that you’ll end up taking a second career. In fact, don’t be surprised if you one day find yourself working on an entirely different area of expertise than your career now.

However, if you are aiming to just improve your mood but would rather stay put on your job then all you need to do is improve your work-life balance. Work-life balance depends on how you actively participate on issues regarding your work and your life as a private person. You can be happy working your old bottoms off and not notice you are slowly losing your friends or missing out on your grandkid’s little milestones. These things, even if you don’t recognize it right away has an effect on you psychologically which stresses your being leaving you feeling empty and incomplete. It also has an effect on your productivity even if you, again, don’t recognize your work-life balance as the problem.

In order for you to achieve a perfect work-life balance, you should be able to set aside time for your life as a person in between work. I do know that this is easier said than done since nowadays you can bring your work to anywhere you want. While this may sound benefiting to seniors trying to achieve balance in their lives, this complicates things even more since you don’t have any more room for yourself, i.e your “me” time. Just imagine yourself off to a vacation then suddenly be greeted by your laptop upon unpacking, what would your thoughts be? I bet it’s to check on your emails. See? It has become harder for us to separate work and personal life. Although it can be hard, you just have to exert extra effort to really succeed in achieving work-life balance.

Working is not bad, in fact, it has health benefits since it encourages active lifestyle and was even reported to have helped many seniors to live long and happy lives however, doing it in excess will cause burnout which can trigger illnesses too.

Today I am going to share my experiences about blogging and how seniors can make a little money out of it. Because of my virtual assisting stint, I’m able to work with fabulous people who do this on a regular basis – I mean, do these things for a living which in my eyes made them a pro. However, I found out that there is indeed more to it than just blogging and adding ads. You can actually make money out of it in so many ways that it is impossible to count them off your fingers! Let me share to you these examples:
CLIENT 1: CONTENT IS KING. This client made me write articles and blog posts 6 times a week, despite bad grammar just as long as it is understandable and keyword enriched. The idea is to populate the blog with content that is related to his niche. For my fellow seniors who aren’t too techie yet, “niche” is your blog’s overall topic. This is what keeps you in line and not blindingly shooting whatever happens to be in front of you.
TIP 1: Find a niche that is neither too broad nor too slim/narrow. Make sure you go for something you can write for a long time without having to repeat yourself after 2-3 months.
CLIENT 2: SOCIAL NETWORKING IS THE KEY. This client happens to be a social media coach so she’s very particular with her “tone” when talking to her community. She doesn’t want me anywhere near her blogs so she propped me on her social media sites, adding friends and posting news and quotes which won’t require me to do a couple of words inserted on every post. Of course, my posts should all be related to her niche and they should, every now and then, promote her websites and blogs.
TIP 2: Engage with your community. Expect people to ask questions and they expect you to answer in return. This is good since you are getting feedbacks which will help you grow as a better blogger.
CLIENT 3: THE AFFILIATE MARKETER. This is where the money-making part starts. After polishing your blog nice and shiny, you can now apply for affiliate programs. When approved, you’ll be able to post ads on your website/blog such that when someone clicks on it and buys something, you’ll be rewarded with a commission. Commissions can go as low as 4% to as high as 7% depending on your program. Some of the most popular ones are: Google Adsense, Amazon and Clickbank.
TIP 3: You might want to wait, say 6 months, before applying into anything as affiliate programs are quite strict in approving applications.
CLIENT 4: PHYSICAL PRODUCTS. Indeed you can use your blogs to promote whatever product you are now selling – physical products, I mean. While marketing campaigns are not as concentrated on blogs as you would when affiliated, your blogs can serve as an additional marketing tool and establishing online presence. You can even install third party applications on your blog for your customers to be able to buy your product online.
TIP 4: Going online with your product is a good decision since localised products on web are really a hit these days.

If you plan to do all these things, be prepared to spend a lot of time in front of the computer however, if you do have the time to do so, I assure you it’s rewarding and worthwhile. Retired seniors who are getting a little bored and anxious at home can start incorporating these things, have fun and make money all at the same time!

Learning can never be enough, you just never stop learning, no matter what your age is. We humans are made with nonstop thinking brain – yes, even if you order your brain not to think about anything, it will not stop thinking, just as your heart never stop beating. However, it needs exercise especially if you don’t like it getting all soupy.

For seniors, being “soupy” is simply not acceptable. We have to be on top of things, always alert and engaged. In order to do that, we have to go on learning, find ways to keep your mind occupied. That’s exactly what lifelong learning can do for you!

By definition, lifelong learning is the act of continuously building your skills and knowledge, acquiring new ones, through experiences formal and informal. By formal we mean trainings, higher education, etc. Nowadays, lifelong learning is highly encouraged especially in the corporate world where the competition is a lot tougher than anywhere else. Retired seniors are also encouraged to do so since lifelong learning proves to be very beneficial to their health.

So what exactly can lifelong learning do for you? Let us count the ways:

* Sharper mind. I don’t believe that old dogs can never learn new tricks. What I believe, though, is that old dogs can be really lazy when it comes to learning new tricks. On the other hand, challenging your mind will help it stay sharp and focused.
* Boosts self confidence. It’s quite hard to not be proud of your achievements when you’ve acquired so many of them right? Even if you don’t brag about it, lifelong learning has it’s own way of oozing out of you so you won’t have to feel inferior or “too old” for anything anymore.
* Welcomed challenges. At some point, your retirement will start to feel boring and mundane. Lifelong learning will bring you fresh challenges each day, filling the void and leave you feeling revived and fulfilled.
* Give you the opportunity to meet other people. With age, we tend to shy away from people for some reason. Lifelong learning will help seniors to not lose touch with the society and be able to mingle with them confidently.
* Skill building. I can’t explain enough how exhilarating it could be when you know you are building and honing your skills every single day. Learning something new everyday is what we live for and we shouldn’t settle for anything less.
* It will keep you up-to-date with things. The thing with learning is that you never stop. Everyday, new things are discovered such that what you knew back in college won’t necessarily apply to your field now. Think of lifelong learning as updating your skills, an investment.

You would be amazed how seniors are now getting into online selling. Just consider the number of successful online stores out there that are operated and managed by seniors, particularly those who have just retired and enjoying the perks of retirement.

It is a no-brainer actually, online selling indeed fits seniors to a tee. Why not? Online selling allow seniors to be able to control their working hours, work from home, and most especially earn some while doing so.

However, some senior online sellers think that the only way to sell online is through a fully functional ecommerce website. This thought alone may discourage a senior from getting into the bandwagon considering the technical skills needed to run an ecommerce website not to mention the amount of money it needs in order to be up and running. Senior sellers need not be afraid as there are many ways other than an ecommerce website to sell your stuff – some don’t even cost a dime to start!

* Auction sites. Surely you have heard of one, perhaps even participated in one. If not, then think “Ebay” and you’re on the right track. There are still many out there and most of them don’t require registration fee to join. If you are just testing the waters then opt to go for a simple text ad which usually won’t cost you anything other than basic fees, if applies.
* Online marketplaces. If Ebay is synonymous to online auction site, then Amazon gets this one. Again, there are many out there however, Amazon is the most recommended especially for newbies since they have millions of members – who are potentially buyers – and they provide awesome support to new sellers.
* Targeted marketplaces. I firmly believe that the pioneer for targeted marketplaces is Etsy. For those of you who are not familiar with the website, Etsy is a place for artists to buy and sell their products. Etsy supports handmade products like jewelries, clothing and keepsakes.
* Online classified ads. To date, the most popular is Craiglist. Walmart has their own classified ads too and I believe they offer this service for free. Online classified ads are like traditional newspaper-classified ads only they can be found online and much easier to scan.
* Social Networking Sites. Most social networking sites do not encourage businesses from using their sites to sell their stuff but let’s face it, it is the easiest way to get attention and they have the best and widest audiences. You just have to find a way to get attention while following the site’s rules and regulations regarding selling stuff.

Finding a job can be hard for seniors – especially seniors - since most of them have outdated resumes, have been out-of-practice for job interviews or are just plain too old to be looking for a job and starting a new career. With the advent of technology, the ground where you find work widened and your reach became longer. Imagine someone from far-flung areas like India or the Philippines can now work closely with someone from Australia or Canada. That’s how it is now and you don’t have to be super techie about it too, just a little know-how would do. Below are some tips for seniors who are looking for a job but couldn’t find them in traditional places:
•    Try employment resource websites. There are tons out there that are both free and legitimate. Take note of the word “legitimate” as there are scam sites too that will try to fool you into paying them some money in the pretense of finding you a job. Try Odesk and Elance as they are the safest nowadays until you are confident to do it on your own.
•    Start with companies that have diversity program in place. Most companies are now encouraging diversity amongst their workforce as it is now mandated by the law. Diversity programs seek minority groups, women, and seniors to join the workforce without discrimination. This must be seniors’ easiest way to landing a job.
•    Get socialized! Social networking sites are fast becoming a portal of employment for those who haven’t had much time to scour the streets for jobs. I once had a client whom I met over at Twitter, he was impressed with what I do and he gave me a short stint which eventually turned out to be a two-year ongoing job.
•     Update your online resume. On your free time, you might want to look at LinkedIn since it is the most popular professional networking site these days. Best of all, you can “export” your details for an instant resume. Now, you don’t have to remember every little detail of your professional life all at once, you can add them as you remember them.
•     Put your networking skills into work. In harsher words, use your family and friends for referrals or even leads to jobs that fit your skills. Don’t feel guilty about doing these things too as you could always compensate the other person after landing the job

Well, it doesn’t really have to be an income generating business for seniors to take advantage of these awesome online tools; it can also be a venture, or a cause you’ve been trying to raise awareness of or perhaps a project you’re working on such as an extensive family tree or simply a way to connect with your loved-ones. Whatever it is, it is still good to know some online tools recommended for seniors to use since these tools are really easy to use and understand – you don’t even have to be a tech-savvy to use them!

* Google Apps. If you are housing 50 staff or less, and you need customized email addresses to look professional but don’t have enough funds for a fully functional IT department, then Google Apps is for you. You can also reserve a domain name to use if you still don’t have one by now for a small fee. Google Apps comes with Gmail account, Gdocs and calendar, all synchronized with your staff. Not much difference actually from your standard-issue Gmail however, you won’t see that @gmail.com anymore which tends to turn some clients off. Also if you go for Google Apps for Business, you get Google video and Google groups alongside other very useful features. Get Google Apps here.

* Dropbox. Tired of spring-cleaning your storage ever so often? Or perhaps you don’t have enough space in your computer to save all your important documents? Or maybe, just maybe, you are looking for a way to just make a file, save it and it will show on your staff’s folders and computers without you having to send them over? Dropbox can do all of this, not to mention sharing large files which undoubtedly your email service won’t be able to handle. Get your dropbox here.

* OpenOffice.   OpenOffice works very much like Microsoft Office but without the hefty price tag that comes with it. So if you are looking to install such thing to several computers but don’t have the budget to do so, this is a great alternative for you. Get your OpenOffice here.

* Mailchimp. While Mailchimp cannot be installed into your computer and runs solely online, it is worth mentioning here as it can be your greatest pal in promoting your product, business or cause. If you must know, Mailchimp is a bulk email service which means you can send out newsletters and email updates just by signing up with an email address. It is so simple to use that even a newbie senior won’t have a hard time sending out “pro” looking emails. Get a Mailchimp account here.

* Skype. I will assume that you are familiar with Skype as I don’t know of anybody who doesn’t right now and if you tell me you are not aware of what Skype can do for you then you’ll be the first on my list. Skype is great – not only can it send instant messages to your staff but you can start a conference chats in there. Also, their screensharing feature proves to be really valuable if you are operating far from each other. Download Skype for your computer here.